The Caleb Williams Era Is Here

Good morning Chicago fans! I hope everyone’s in celebration mode to start the week. How could you not be after the White Sox actually swept another professional baseball team??

Or maybe you’re more excited about Caleb Williams. The new Bears quarterback is HERE, and it is go time. A quarterback who threw 93 TDs and 14 INTs in college and has studied Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers to reach his goal of being the best is ours in Chicago.

TROPHY TRACKER

1-2-3-4-5-❌-7-8-9-🏆

Results:

W - Cubs 7, Astros 2

The underachieving 7-16 Astros came to town looking to change their fortunes, but the Cubs’ power surge led the way to a win.

• Jordan Wicks pitched his first quality start of the season (6 IP, 2 ER)

  • Wicks (2021 1st Round Pick) and Ben Brown (2022 Trade Deadline Acquisition) pitched consecutively in this game, which was a fun sequence to show off recent pitching development in the organization

• Mike Tauchman hit 2 HRs (both oppo Tauchos 🌮😉)

• Cody Bellinger hit a HR and left the game early after colliding with the wall in centerfield

W - Cubs 4, Astros 3

Now without Seiya and Cody, the Cubs survived a close one after hanging on to a 4-run first inning.

• A 3-run home run by Dansby Swanson capped off the big first inning

• Hector Neris recorded his 2nd save of the season. Of course, a Cubs closer had to make it interesting and give up a solo home run to Jose Altuve before escaping with a 1 run victory.

W - Cubs 3, Astros 1

Pete Crow-Armstrong was the hero as the Cubs finished off the series sweep!

• The Cubs had a lot of traffic on the bases early and often against future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander (4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K) but struck out in every key at-bat. They ended the game 2-15 with runners in scoring position.

• PCA started in CF and hit a go-ahead 2-run HR in the 6th inning

  • First big-league hit AND first HR! 🎉

• Javier Assad, Hayden Wesneski, and Hector Neris combined for an impressive 4-hit 1-run performance

W - Cubs 7, Red Sox 1

The Cubs dominated the first game at Fenway Park behind the hottest pitcher in baseball, Shōta Imanaga.

• Imanaga continued his incredible start to the season with 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

• Cubs’ hitters finally had a balanced attack throughout the entire lineup, totaling 14 hits and scoring 7 runs without a HR

  • Busch: 3 hits, Dansby/Morel: 2 hits, PCA: 2 hits and successful squeeze play RBI

L - Red Sox 17, Cubs 0

Rookie Ceddanne Rafaela (4-4, 1 HR, 7 RBI) and the Red Sox handed the Cubs their first shutout of the year.

• Two position players, Matt Mervis and Patrick Wisdom, pitched the 8th inning for the Cubs after Ben Brown, Luke Little, and Colten Brewer got roughed up

• The Red Sox had a bullpen day but were able to hold the Cubs to only 5 hits

• Christopher Morel left the game after colliding with Alexander Canario in left field - he ended up being alright and starting on Sunday

L - Red Sox 5, Cubs 4

A late comeback wasn’t enough as the Red Sox walked it off in the bottom of the 9th and took 2 of 3 in the series.

• Hayden Wesneski started in place of the injured Jordan Wicks

• Tanner Houck came into the game with a 1.65 ERA and dominated Cubs hitters (6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)

• Mike Tauchman tied the game with a 3-run HR in the 8th

• Mark Leiter Jr. gave up his first earned run of the entire season when he tried to preserve the tie in the bottom of the 9th

Week Record: 4-2

Season Record: 17-11

Star of the Week: Mike Tauchman

3 HRs on the week and a consistent spot in the 2-hole since Bellinger went out gives Tauchman the honor.

He continues to be as reliable as anyone and provide impressive at-bats in every game. This power streak is new, and hopefully he stays hot!

Play of the Week: PCA First MLB Hit/Homer

News & Notes:

• Prior to last week’s games, the Cubs made the following roster moves:

  • Kyle Hendricks (back) and Drew Smyly (hip) were placed on the 15-day IL

  • RHP Hayden Wesneski, LHP Luke Little, and 1B/DH Matt Mervis were recalled from AAA

  • 1B/DH Garrett Cooper was designated for assignment and eventually traded to the Red Sox for cash considerations

    • Cooper hit pretty well in his short stint (.270 AVG. .774 OPS) but was a redundant player for the roster once Patrick Wisdom returned from injury

• Cody Bellinger was placed on the 10-day IL with 2 fractured ribs after crashing into the wall, Pete Crow-Armstrong was recalled from AAA

• After the 17-0 disaster, the Cubs made some roster moves:

  • LHP Jordan Wicks was placed on the 15-day IL with a left forearm strain (the injury bug won’t go away!!)

  • LHP Luke Little was sent back down to AAA

  • RHP Daniel Palencia and LHP Richard Lovelady were called up from AAA

• Luke Little had to change his glove during Wednesday’s game - his glove had a small American flag on it, and the league doesn’t allow any white on pitchers’ gloves

• Old friend Anthony Rizzo hit his 300th career home run!

• Due to injuries, the Cubs rotation looks very different just one month into the season:

  • THEN: Steele/Hendricks/Imanaga/Wicks/Assad

  • NOW: Imanaga/Taillon/Assad/Brown/Wesneski

TROPHY TRACKER

1-2-3-4-5-❌-7-8-9-🏆 📈

🏈 NFL DRAFT 🏈

Round 1, Pick 1 ➡ Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Round 1, Pick 9 ➡ Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Round 3, Pick 75 ➡ Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale

Round 4, Pick 122 ➡ Tory Taylor, P, Iowa

Round 5, Pick 144 ➡ Austin Booker, DE, Kansas

Analysis:

Caleb Williams, QB, USC

This pick was decided for months, and Caleb’s emotions as he walked across the stage seemed genuine and mirrored the excitement Bears fans were feeling in that moment.

Caleb is here three years after Fields. Fields was here four years after Trubisky. But this is different.

Caleb Williams is such an elite prospect that the cycle SHOULD end here. This is a new era of Bears football, and Caleb sees himself playing here for 20 years and winning multiple championships. I cannot WAIT to see a real quarterback in this city. This is Caleb’s team now.

I’m a sucker for the draft call videos - here is Caleb’s.

Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

The dream 1-9 pairing that seemed pre-orchestrated by Caleb and Rome actually happened. The Bears have a new franchise QB and franchise WR.

Caleb and Rome flew to Detroit together, had a throwing session together (along with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen) recently, and seemed to create a friendship during the whole pre-draft process. My questions about whether Caleb could influence other draft picks, like CJ Stroud did in 2023 to get Tank Dell, might have been answered. He got his guy!

I was surprised Poles went WR here at #9. I’m not sure how three elite receivers who want counting stats can stay in rhythm and get enough touches. It seems so rare to have players of this caliber all on the same team. But why not go for it? This WR group easily jumps to the top of the NFL and may be historically good if Rome plays well at the NFL level. It’s a pass-first league, and the Bears just leapfrogged the NFL.

Odunze had a 9.92 RAS (relative athletic score) and a crazy stat line (92 rec, 1640 yards, 13 TD) in 2023.

Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale

When Ryan Poles targets an offensive lineman, I pay attention. Amegadjie is a Chicago guy who has mainly played left tackle but also has experience at guard. He missed all but four games in 2023 due to a torn left quad, and he played at an FCS school. He sounds like a projection with impressive athletic traits.

Poles stated that Amegadjie most likely won’t push Braxton Jones for the starting LT job in Year 1, but that could be a possibility in the future. He imagined a swing backup role where Amegadjie could play inside or outside as needed in his rookie season.

Amegadjie and Matt Eberflus recalled running into each other on the Kemper Lakes golf course a year ago, and Amegadjie told Flus he would draft him!

Tory Taylor, P, Iowa

As an Iowa Hawkeye myself, I LOVE this pick.

Most people squawk at the idea of ever drafting a punter or kicker. And in the 4th round?! There are definitely loud critics of this decision. However, after watching Taylor for 4 years at Iowa, I am confident the Bears picked an elite punter. Taylor was the entire Hawkeye offense, especially last season, and can flip the field on every punt.

He punted for over 13,000 yards in his career and had a 48.2 yards per punt average in 2023. He placed 32 punts within the 20 yard line in 2023.

Trenton Gill was solid in his rookie year but struggled last season. Pairing Taylor with Cairo Santos and the swag of LS Patrick Scales has me excited for special teams again.

Austin Booker, DE, Kansas

The Bears traded a 2025 4th round pick to the Bills to add to their 2024 arsenal and select Booker. This pick, #144, was coincidentally the pick that the Bears previously sent to the Bills for C/G Ryan Bates.

Booker is a talented pass rusher who had a rotational role in college. He still managed to have 8 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2023. Poles and Eberflus talked up his length, ability to get around the tackle, and high motor. Booker may need significant time to develop at the NFL level, but he has the pass rushing arsenal and athletic traits needed to project a bright future.

Acquiring DL depth was important in this draft, and Poles mentioned they were close to going DL in the 3rd round before selecting Amegadjie who was their “Best Player Available”.

News & Notes:

• Signed Assistant GM Ian Cunningham to a contract extension

  • Ryan Poles RAVED about his best friend and right-hand man at the pre-draft press conference

• Stadium plans and renderings were revealed for the City property (just south of Soldier Field) at a press conference on Wednesday. The stadium and land development looked very impressive, but questions remained about parking and if the project will legally proceed:

• Hall of Famer Devin Hester was a common thread for the Bears draftees: he was Rome Odunze’s favorite player growing up, Kiran Amegadjie was a Bears fan and would always play with Hester on Madden as a kid

• Brian Piccolo Award Winners = Darnell Wright and TJ Edwards

  • One rookie and one veteran receive this award each season for displaying the “courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Bears running back”

• Caleb Williams broke the record at Fanatics for draft night merch sales

• Four of the five quarterbacks drafted in the 2021 1st Round have been traded from their original teams (Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Mac Jones)

TROPHY TRACKER

1-❌-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-🏆

News & Notes:

• Defenseman Alex Vlasic signed a 6-year contract extension ($4.6M cap hit)

  • I’m glad Kyle Davidson got this extension done quickly to start the offeason. Vlasic is the first part of the new young core to get 🔒 locked up long-term.

  • Vlasic’s development has surprisingly took off, and he had one of the best shutdown seasons by any defenseman in the league. This is a great price for a 22-year old entering the prime of his career. Not to mention a hometown kid from Wilmette!

• Turn on the NHL Playoffs tonight and get your Florida Panthers gear on! They are up 3-1 in their series vs. the Lightning, and eliminating the Lightning gives the Hawks a higher pick in the 1st round of the draft (the pick was acquired in the Brandon Hagel trade in 2022)

• Next up:

  • Draft Lottery - May 7th

  • NHL Draft - June 28-29

TROPHY TRACKER

❌-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-🏆

News & Notes:

• Coaching changes were announced under Billy Donovan:

  • Josh Fleming will no longer be on the staff

  • John Bryant will move to a more prominent role on the bench

  • Maurice Cheeks will move to a different role on the staff (his own choice)

• Coby White was NOT named the NBA’s Most Improved Player 😭

  • Tyrese Maxey won the vote in a nail biter, 319-305 points

  • I’m biased, but the voters objectively got this one wrong. Maxey only increased his scoring from 20.3 ppg to 25.9 ppg from last season, and his shooting percentages dropped. Coby essentially doubled his production in every statistical category:

• DeMar DeRozan was NOT named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year 😠

  • Stephen Curry won the vote in another extremely close ballot, 298-272 points

• Next up:

  • Draft Lottery - May 12th

  • NBA Draft - June 26-27

Dansby Swanson

When Dansby signed with the Cubs, it was abundantly clear that the Cubs valued his leadership. They knew he had a history of winning.

Since he has been in Chicago, everyone has raved about his professionalism. He comes to play every day. He works hard and is extremely focused on every detail of the game. He picks up his teammates when needed and is the unofficial captain of the team. (Put a C on his chest, Cubs!)

The only guy who probably gets annoyed with Dansby is Jed Hoyer since Dansby called him all winter about potential roster moves.

Tony Andracki wrote a great piece highlighting Dansby’s recent care for his teammate, Adbert Alzolay. Since Alzolay had been struggling, Dansby reached out to offer his support. The rest of the story is gold and displays the type of person the Cubs signed back in December of 2022:

The Bears will have a Top 10 offense, defense, and special teams in 2024.

In 2023, the Bears were 18th in points per game and 20th in points allowed per game. They cycled through return men, and the punting unit was disappointing.

There were some positives! They were 2nd in rushing and 1st in rushing defense. The defense led the league in multiple statistical categories over the last 6 weeks of the season. They tied for the most interceptions (22) in the NFL. Cairo Santos made the most field goals (35) in one season in Bears history.

IF that late season Bears defense is the REAL Bears defense, they may even be Top 5. Adding a former All-Pro in Kevin Byard and additional depth, plus another year of development and chemistry for the young players, looks promising.

The passing offense, which has been abysmal for essentially the entire history of the franchise, should skyrocket 🚀 this year. Obviously, Caleb Williams has to translate his game to the NFL, and some questions have to be answered on the O-Line, but there has been a complete overhaul of the roster and scheme.

Kick and punt returners may be a question mark until Week 1, but drafting the best collegiate punting prospect in years should do wonders for the special teams.

Matt Eberflus always harps on the importance of complimentary football. The Bears are on their way.

I hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter! Let me know if you have any suggestions for making future editions better 👍 Make sure to follow Windy Conditions on Facebook and Twitter using the icons below ⬇

Can’t wait to see LeBron lose in the playoffs!